HD Brows

So tonight I have treated myself to the HD Brows experience. HD Brows is a seven step process to shape, tidy and create your perfect brow. It involves tinting, waxing, tweezing and threading to shape your brows to suit your face.

My brows naturally on the left and after the HD Brows treatment on the right.

Before- just pencilled in 

After- the HD Brows treatment

What is great about HD Brows is that with each treatment your technician will be able to shape your brows so they start to match in shape, length and arch. This is just the start of my treatment and each time, they should become perfectly shaped to match each other. 

 Most people will have uneven brows to start with- unless you are naturally lucky and have perfect even eyebrows with the exact same shape. This treatment is the perfect solution for those uneven, overplucked, or under shaped brows.

Thankyou to Camilla Seton's Beauty & Aesthetics for my wonderful brows. 

Quick pretty make-up look

Excuse the seriousness of my face in these photos! I'm not the best at posing for my own photos!

This is a really simple look to achieve a flawless glowing complexion, using really pretty colours.

Products used:

• No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream in Fair
• Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in Shade 1
• Chantecaille Compact Make-Up in Shell
• Benefit One Hot Minute Bronzer
• Smashbox 'O' Glow.
• Lancome Color Design, Sensational Effects Eyeshadows in 'Honeymoon' & 'Guest List'
• Laura Mercier Brow Gel Definer in Soft
• Pixi Eye Bright Liner
• Pixi Straight on Til Morning Liner
• Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara
• Jelly Pong Pong 'Irish Cream Pavlova' Lip Frosting.

There you have it for tonight xxxx

Chantecaille Compact Make-Up.

I recently bought a fabulous new powder compact foundation from Chantecaille. I usually wouldn't buy anything from this brand due to the high prices of each product- however I am an Ebay scavenger and I came across a couple of people selling a brand new one, in my exact shade.

It is a wonder product for my skin. I can see why it has such a high price tag. It is like no other powder I have used before. It is lightweight but gives great coverage to my skin. The shade also matches my fair skin perfectly- I use 'Shell'. All too often I find powders are too yellow or dark for my skin despite them being 'fair' or 'ivory' etc. Translucent powder doesn't give me any coverage.

It's texture is like silk on your skin and even when you build it up it doesn't go cakey or powdery. This compact is going to be perfect for my holiday down under, to keep my skin looking beautifully dewy in the summer sun rather than high shine and neon red! Which is sadly how my fair skin will go if it's not protected correctly.

It is also animal derivative and lanolin free, a nice added bonus when you are looking for a luxury product. It retails for £48.00 so it isn't something you would buy on a whim. But if you are looking for a special foundation, then this is it... and if you still can't justify it, there's always Ebay ;)

I'll do a picture post soon using some of these products for you all.. until then...

John Swannell/BHF/Powell Sisters photoshoot

Back in July I was part of a wonderful photoshoot for a fantastic cause- the British Heart Foundation. We were in an amazing location for the shoot- Artist, Helen David's studio.

Helen created the stunning heart, you see above for BHF's Tunnel of Love party to be auctioned off. 

Lorna and Sarah Powell were an absolute joy to work with. They arrived on the day so excited and up for what the day would bring. They both wanted a fresh flawless look, with Lorna wanting less eye make-up- just enough to define and Sarah wanting more of a cat eye liner to define her eyes. I worked alongside Joe our hairdresser for the day and created beautiful fresh and natural looks.












John Swannell is a legendary photographer and it was a pleasure to watch him work. Below are some of the pictures from the day. I think you'll agree, they are absolutely stunning.

Latest Beauty love...

My new favourite skincare/haircare/all around wonder product...

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Dry Oil.

I got a sample of this in my August Glossybox and fell in love. I LOVE face oils, body oils etc. This is my absolute favourite. It contains all kinds of wonderful ingredients including St Johnswort, Sweet Almond, Camellia, Hazelnut, Macadamia, aswell as Vitamin E. It smells amazing and glides on to my skin beautifully and doesn't leave it feeling greasy! I have also used it in my hair and again no greasy residue! My skin always looks fresher and clearer after using it, and a little really goes a long way.. This is going to be a staple in my make-up bag for my trip to New Zealand and Hong Kong in December.

Over the coming weeks I'm going to be revealing my top products I'll be taking into the sunshine down under..

A fairytale wedding

On Friday I had the pleasure of doing the make-up for Katie. Katie was given my details by Philip Harvey of 20-20 Sounds, who also happened to be our DJ for our own wedding last year. We had a trial at the end of January and luckily she liked what I did and I was booked! Her wedding ceremony was at Upnor Castle and her reception at Bridgewood Manor hotel.

On the day I had five ladies, including the bride to make-up. Katie's dress was a very pale pink and her bridesmaids all wore soft grey. Her make-up was fresh and glowing with a soft grey smokey eye. I also gave her a full set of temporary individual lashes for the day

I primed her skin with YSL Top Secrets Protective Make-Up base. This has an SPF 30 and really helps to brighten the skin. I left this to settle in, then used Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua base along with Laura Mercier Secret Concealer. I highlighted using the classic YSL Touche Eclat and a touch of Benefit's High Beam on the brow.

For her cheeks, I used Pixi Bronzer all over followed by Pixi's Pick-Me-Up Pink blusher.

Her eye make-up is all by Urban Decay, I used Skimp, Zephyr, Gunmetal and Crystal. Along with Urban Decay's 24/7 Liquid Liner. After I applied the individual lashes, I blended them with her own with a coat of Max Factor's Waterproof False lash effect mascara. It's one of the few I trust to really stay on even when tired, tearful or raining!

Her lips were made up using Laura Mercier's lip stain in Shy Pink and Pixi's Maxi Lip Booster.

Below is a picture of the bride in her beautiful dress!

Deep Sleep...

From the This Works range...

The Deep Sleep Pillow Spray, it seriously works! Ever since I have been using this at night I have found I fall asleep more quickly and I sleep that much more deeply! It contains Lavender, Vetivert and Wild Camomile. I use it in conjunction with the Breathe in 'Inspiration' roll on balm, which you use on your pulse points and temples- it contains Frankincense and Eucalyptus, wonderful before bedtime. If you have trouble sleeping I can highly recommend these products. This Works do a great little set of these two products for just £10.

My new beauty favourite!

In my first Glossybox delivery (after Carmine and GlossyBox merged) I received a luxury size sample of Philip B's Drop Dead Straightening Baume. I am in love. This hair product is the ultimate styling product. My hair does not take to product. From the low end to the high end products (yes Bumble and Bumble and Kerastase i''m talking to you too!)- everything weighs my hair down and makes it greasy and limp.

I tried this Philip B serum and was rather dubious about it's claims that it would give me 'a non-greasy, silicone-free straight, tangle-free, and sleek finish'. However as soon as I started blow drying my hair I felt an immediate difference. My hair felt lightweight and soft, without feeling like there was a coating on my hair. I can even use this serum in my fringe and it looks shiny, soft and full. Considering how processed my hair has been in the past I amvery pleased with the results this gives!

 I normally don't post pictures of myself with the bare minimum of make-up on, but really wanted to show the results of the serum without straightening my hair. I have however straightened my fringe for this picture.

Make-up I am wearing here is as follows

Kiehls Abyssine Cream SPF 23.
Soap and Glory Eye Dew!
Laura Mercier Foundation Primer
Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in Shade B10
Calvin Klein Endless Light in Cream
Smashbox O Glow Cheek Colour
Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Linen
Inika Eye Pencil in Green Lagoon
Pixi Beauty Lip Blish in Youth
Maybelline Day 2 Night Mascara.


My shampoo I used today is 'Big' by Lush. A lovely Sea Salt shampoo which makes hair feel amazing and look so shiny!

First wedding of 2012

Yesterday was my first wedding of 2012, and although the weather was a bit hit and miss all week, in the end I think it stayed dry long enough for the bride to get married outside. The bride, Mary and her daughter and chief bridesmaid Nadine both wanted very different looks for the big day, and they were a real pleasure to get to know both on the trial day and again on Mary's wedding day..

You can see below the before and after pictures of Mary. All the hair for the bride and bridesmaid was done by Kyla with assistance from Amy, both from Kyla's Haircare. When I spoke to Mary about what she wanted from her look, she wanted to look like 'her- but on a really good day'. This made my job really easy and I think in the end we achieved that look.

For Mary's base I first prepped her skin using Korres Wild Rose 24h Moisturiser and Kiehls Midnight Eye Recovery Cream. I then used a wonderful primer by Pixi- Flawless and Poreless. This really does minimise the pores and create a wonderful base for the foundation to then sit on.

I used Laura Mercier's moisturising foundation in 'Blush Ivory'. This suited Mary's skin perfectly and evened out her skin beautifully. I used Laura Mercier's secret concealer in Shade 1 ( a real wonder product in my opinion!) followed by a touch of Calvin Klein endless light brightening concealer in 'Cream'. I finished her skin off with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in 'Light'. I am not usually a fan of MAC products but this finishing powder is so light and buffs on flawlessly.


 For Mary's finished look, I filled in her brows with Laura Mercier's brow cream in Soft Taupe. On her eyes I first used Laura Mercier's eye primer in 'Linen' followed by Pixi's Eye Solo in "Nude Nouveaux" along with some of Pixi's Smokey Eye Primer cream blended along the lash line. I highlighted her brow bone to create some extra lift.

Mary wore false eyelashes by Eylure. We trimmed them down so they fitted her eyes perfectly and they looked natural but still glamourous. I coated her lashes in a layer of waterproof mascara from Urban Decay. Along her top lashline, I used a small amount of a bronze/black eyeliner from GOSH- it s a long lasting eyeliner which lasts all day (and night!) when I wear it so I knew it would be perfect for the day. I used the Smokey Eye Primer from Pixi underneath Mary's eyes, using a smudge brush to blend it right in.

On her cheeks I used a combination of Givenchy's Prisme Blush in Bucolic Poppy and Benefit's One Hot Minute Bronzing Powder. Finally- on her lips I used Laura Mercier's lip pencil in 'Baby Lips' and Laura Mercier's Lip Stain in 'Shy Pink' with a dab of Lancome Juicy Tube in 'Spring Fling'.

Here is Mary in her finished look. I absolutely love this photo and her dress is stunning!

Nadine's base was by Rochas- Teint Hydra-Confort in Shade 21. I used Pixi Eye Bright Kit in Shade 3, along with Calvin Klein'endless light brightening concealer in a mixture of 'Cream' and Bisque'. I again finished her skin with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in 'Light'.

Nadine wanted a much heavier eye-make up than her mum, so we went ultra-glamourous, starting with Urban Decay's original eyeshadow primer potion. I used shades from the Urban Decay 'Book of Shadows' kit. Bust, Missionary, Gunmetal and Cobra to create her smokey eyes. Along with Zephyr and Skimp as highlight on her brown bone and into the inner corners of her eyes.

Nadine wore a full set of Eylure lashes, and I used Maybelline Eye Studio- Lasting Gel liner in Black to line her top lashes. Underneath her eyes I blended Pixi's Endless Silky Eye Pen in black noir to finish her eyes.

Benefit's Sugar Bomb blusher was the perfect shade for Nadine's cheeks and gave them a healthy glow. I finished the look by using a mixture of Pixi's clear balm and Pixi's Lip Booster in 'Theena' on her lips.

Below you can see Nadine's finished look

And finally here is the beautiful bridal party, dressed and ready to leave.  

A natural beauty...

Ok so not technically anything to do with make-up or fashion, but I couldn't resist sharing these photos of my brilliant dog and model extraordinaire 'Dolly'.

 She even has her own natural 'cat-eye' liner round her eyes. Super glamorous!

A real natural beauty....

Back to the Sixties

I absolutely love the fashion and the style of the 1960's. I got my chance to indulge in this last weekend at a 50's and 60's night for charity in aid of the local hospice here in Medway. Here are just a few pictures. My husband and I decided to go as mods, or a variation of this as we already had quite a few of the items required for this look!

I wore three different sets of lashes on my eyes- two on top and then I trimmed a pair down to wear on the lower lashes. I used the usual suspects of products including my Chanel vitalumiere foundation, Laura Mercier secret concealer, Pixi Gel Liner and Givenchy blusher.


I went very much for an interpretation of the pop art mod look with my eye make-up. Believe me this is more difficult than it looks to get it perfectly neat in the crease of your eye socket. My hair was rather helpfully already cut very much into a mod style. Annette chose to do this when I decided to dye my hair back to it's natural shade and I love it- very easy to style and looks 'done' as soon as I blow dry it!

My complete outfit (to the right). My dress was from Closet at Dorothy Perkins and was a last minute change from a more hippyish dress I had originally purchased. My tights were from House of Holland for Pretty Polly (and yes I got a fair few "you've got a ladder in your tights"). My shoes are a purchase from New Look many years ago, they always seem to come in handy when I least expect it-Grey, Lace up ribbon heeled brogues.

I'll try not to leave it so long between posts for you all xxxx

A pop of colour...

Sorry I've been away for while.. but to kick things off again I thought I would give you a quick run down of how to create a really simple but glamorous look.

To prep my skin I used Korres Wild Rose 24 Hour Moisturiser, along with Kiehls Midnight Eye Recovery Cream. I then used the Make-Up Forever HD Primer in Shade Neutral. This is an amazing primer which refines the pores and makes your skin look flawless before you even apply a base.

On my recent trip to Venice I discovered Italian Make-Up brand Kiko (Make-Up Milano). I have since discovered they have a shop in the UK in Westfields Stratford and Shepherds Bush so I am thrilled. On my visit to the Venice branch, I purchased a fairly new type of product in the western market- a BB cream. Also known as a Blemish Balm, this is a very popular product from Asia. It provides great coverage as a normal foundation would do but it has the texture more like a tinted moisturiser. It provides UV protection, and often contains an SPF aswell. It moisturises as well as covers and also acts as a primer so for a day to day look you don't need to use primer underneath. For an evening look I still like to use a primer as it makes the make-up last that much longer.

I use shade number 1- light and it blends perfectly into my skin. This product is a bargain as well at only £8.90. I highly recommend you give a BB cream a go. I plan to try other brands to see how they differ. I use a concealer by Sephora- Smoothing & Brightening Concealer- It is one of the best i have used and it is a real bargain at $14- sadly Sephora is not available in the UK. I stock up when I visit the USA or Europe. I finished my skin off with a sheer wash of Cover Girl Tru Blend Powder in Translucent Fair to give an even finish.

My blusher is by Givenchy. 'Le Prisme Blush in Blooming Fuschia's. It gives a lovely pink glow to the skin and blends in very easily. I also bought at the same time Le Prisme Blush in 'Bucolic Poppy' which is a more fuschia pink and brightens your complexion instantly.

For my eyes I first prepare my eyebrows with Cosmetics a la Carte's Brow Ink in 'Taupe'. I like my eyebrows to look groomed but natural so I draw the brow ink through my brows before brushing through with an eyebrow brush to blend it through

.

I then applied an eye primer- in this instance I used Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion in 'Sin'. I then applied a natural eyeshadow on top. I have many different brands I used but I wanted my eyelids to look fairly natural so I used a neutral shade from my Apothecary Essentials Kit. I love wearing eyeliner and it seems to be something I am known for amongst friends and family! To create this shimmer eyeliner, I first used Kiko's Automatic Waterproof eyeliner in Black. This eyeliner is great as it draws on like a felt tip pen and doesnt smudge. My top tip for using it is to draw the line you want away from your lash line and then fill in downwards- almost like colouring within the lines. This type of eyeliner is particularly good if you aren't very confident drawing on liquid liner.

To create the metallic sheen on top of the black I used Givenchy Parad Eyes Fluid Eye Liner in shade 5. Sadly this is a limited edition shade no longer available and I am currently researching other eyeliners which have a similar effect and last as long. I use Pixi Silky Eye Pen in Black Tulip as kohl to rim my lower lashes and on the inside of the lower lash line (as can be seen in the finished look below).

My falshes eyelashes are by a brand called "Eldora". I have about 15 pairs of lashes by them, and they are lovely and natural feeling. They have over 200 different types of lashes. I highly recommend them. The ones I am wearing are H133. I always use Duo glue to apply my false lashes as the glue provided by most companies isn't good enough and doesn't last on a night out.

Finally to create my fuschia lips I used two products- the first is Topshop's Lip Liner in Fearless. I lined my lips and then filled in my entire lips with the pencil. I then used Givenchy's Pop Gloss-Lip Gloss in Shade 22, which is a bright fuschia pink with flecks of shimmer and glitter in.

And here is the finished look. Flawless and natural looking skin, which looks healthy and vibrant. With defined eyes and a pop of colour on the lips. A really simple look which anyone can do.